Compton Castle Cahill Gathering
by Dove's Wing
Summary: All the clue hunting Cahills have been required to gather at the Compton castle in England. Will danger surround them or will it be just a "normal" family convention? What troubles will they have to endure through next? -DISCONTINUED-
1. Chapter 1

**So...this is my second 39 clues fanfic. I had to do some research to write this story. A **_**lot**_** of research. Also, this story will be in various perspectives. Hope you like it!**

_Ding Dong!_

Amy Cahill slowly raised her head from the book she was reading about Aristotle, one of the greatest philosophers ever known. Dan stopped shooting rubber bands at her head. She and Dan were currently in Greece, where Aristotle had spread his teachings. They believed that the tenth clue was somewhere in Greece, specifically in the city of Athens, where learning and culture had been vital to the citizens. Unfortunately, they weren't the only ones who had figured out that this was where the next clue was located. Amy and Dan had a trail of Wizards, Holts, and Kabras tailing them. Whether all of them actually knew the clue that had led them here, or they were just following the Cahills, they weren't actually sure. They had no idea where Uncle Alistair was, but with any luck, he wasn't in Greece.

Amy glanced at Dan and they began communicating with their eyes.

_Should we answer it? _She asked her brother silently.

Dan looked uncertain. _I dunno._

_ Yeah. For all we know, Natalie Kabra could be standing their with her dart gun. _

_ But what if it's important?_ Dan protested hesitantly.

_It might be. _Amy sucked in a shaky breath. _I'll answer it and you get ready . Make sure you're ready for help and protection and all that._

Her brother rolled his eyes. _I think you are overreacting._

_Whatever. Better safe than sorry! _Amy shot him a half glare and cautiously approached the door. The whole "conversation" had taken no more than five seconds.

She pulled the door of their hotel room open. To her relief, there was nobody there. But she still checked the hallway, just in case. Nothing. _That's odd. _She was just about to shut the door when she noticed a sheet of paper near her feet. She quickly bent down to pick it up and closed the door while scanning over the note.

"So who was it?" Dan asked. He came toward her doing some weird ninja moves.

"Nobody," she replied. "There was just this note." She read it aloud to Dan:

_**Amy and Daniel Cahill~**_

_All teams participating in the hunt for the 39 clues:_

_You are required to be at the Compton castle of Devon, England_

_by the end of this week, Saturday , August 28th._

_If you do not show, we will hunt you down,_

_and you will be immediately disqualified from the hunt._

_This isn't a trap._

_Mr. William McIntyre will be there as well._

_And please refrain from bringing your au pair, Nellie Gomez. _

_We will provide a way for you to contact her._

_Thank you._

"_Thank you?"_ Dan blurted incredously. "They're basically forcing us to pause in the clue hunt and telling us to go somewhere and they say thank you! And it's Dan, not Daniel!"

Amy stared at the paper. "We should of answered the door faster," she murmured miserably.

"They probably just got the bellboy or something to deliver it," Dan muttered. "Let's go tell Nellie." He walked to the mini kitchen that the room had, where Nellie was cooking up some strange smelling stew.

"Hey kiddos!" Dan glared at her. Both of them hated it when she called them that. "Want some exotic Malaysian soup?" She showed them a pot of a watery mixture of carrots and a variety of vegetables. It was the color of puke.

Amy was polite and mature enough to stifle how grossed out she felt, but Dan wasn't. "Ew!" he exclaimed.

Nellie pretended to be greatly offended. Clucking her toungue, she asked,"So what did you two need?" Amy handed her the note. Their au pair quickly read it. "So you guys are off to England, huh? Well, it's kinda relieving to take a break. Sometimes it's like a wild goose chase in this thing. But I don't wanna let you go without me. Hmmm..."

"Nellie. I think you should stay. Not because the note said so, but because if all of us go, then we'd have to bring our leads and clues with us." Amy spoke up quietly.

Dan's eyes widened. "Yeah! I don't want to bring our leads anywhere near the other teams. You have to stay and keep them far away from them, Nellie!"

Nellie sighed. "Okay. But be careful. Honestly how ominous is '_this is not a trap'_? Now we probably know that it is a trap. Go pack. I'll get you tickets to leave tomorrow. The earlier, the better."

Amy and Dan walked off and packed. "Hey, how much clothes should we bring? We don't know how long we're staying."

Amy thought for a moment. "Just pack a week's worth,"she replied.

*****Page Break*****

The next day, Amy and Dan were ready to go as they boarded an airplane to Devon, England. As they flew Amy couldn't help but feel wary about the fact that she would see Ian again. She had pushed all those feelings from their alliance in Korea deep inside her. She hoped they would stay down there after she saw him.

"_I will not fall for him again. Ever."_

**Sorry that it's kind of short and uneventful. I also apologize for my grammar. I never know where to put my commas. I'll try to make the next one longer Well, please review. Reviews give me motivation! :)**

***So...yeah. The only thing I changed here was the ending. I don't think I need to change anything in Chapter 2.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi! Thanks to the people who reviewed! And music4evah had some questions in her review, so I'll answer them for her. **

** Music4evah,**

** Your first question was how many books I have read. I've read all nine of the books that have been released. (When does the tenth book come out, anyway?)**

** Next: No, I did not curse during the page break. I wanted to use those little star things, but when I tried that before, it didn't show up when I uploaded the document to fanfiction. So I just pressed some random buttons. If it bothers you, then I'll do something else next time. **

** Last question: What book this story takes place after. The answer is in the summary. I said there will be almost NO references to the book. It's a made up story that does not piggyback off the content in the books. The only things I took from the books so far were the idea of the clue hunt, the characters and the fact that Irina and the Starlings were no longer in the race. But I'll probably take more details from the books later.**

** I guess you're right about the whole "I wonder if I'll see Ian" line. It was kind of stupid of me to write that. I was just trying a way to start out the Amy/Ian. I need to think my writing through before I write it!**

** So there. Now that I got those out of the way, on with the chapter 2 of Compton Castle Cahill Gathering. (Gosh, that title can be a handful. Sorry for the long author's note!)**

Eisenhower Holt was strength training. As important as the hunt was for him, he wanted his family to remain strong and fit. He lifted the couch of the hotel with a grunt and lowered it down before raising it up again. It wasn't as good as his weights at home but it would have to do. His twin daughters, Reagan and Madison, were wrestling while his wife, Mary-Todd, watched them fondly. Hamilton, the eldest child and his only son, was in the kitchen eating snacks. Eisenhower approved of this. In order to grow and be strong, you had to eat. What he did not approve of was how Hamilton had befriended those Cahill weaklings, Amy and Dan. They were vulnerable. The only reason they got this far was because they had been Grace's favorites. Everyone knew that.

But Eisenhower also despised the two for their parents, Arthur Trent and Hope Cahill. He scowled as he set the couch down. He had not been fond of the couple. Always getting ahead and keeping secrets. On that fateful night, he had agreed to burn down the home. Although he hadn't set the fire, he hadn't protested. Nobody did.

The head of the Holts suddenly shook his head back to the present. Focus. His family had to win. No time to go into the past.

_Ring! Ring!_

"Get the door!" he barked at Hamilton.

"Yes, sir!" Hamilton's burly figure dashed for the door. A moment later his father heard his voice again. "Anybody there?"

His son entered the room looking puzzled. "This note was the only thing there," he announced.

_**The Holt Family~**_

_All teams participating in the hunt for the 39 clues:_

_You are required to be at the Compton castle of Devon, England_

_by the end of this week, Saturday , August 28th._

_If you do not show, we will hunt you down,_

_and you will be immediately disqualified from the hunt._

_This isn't a trap._

_Mr. William McIntyre will be there as well._

_We ask you to keep your pet away._

_You may bring it with you but it won't be allowed in the estate._

_Thank you._

Madison spoke first. "Arnold is a _he_, not an _it_,"she stated mater-of-factly. She scoffed in anger.

"They must not know that, dear," Mary-Todd soothed. She patted her daughter on the shoulder.

Eisenhower scowled at the note. He didn't appreciate having to stop looking for clues. But there was no way he would get disqualified. "Holts! Go pack! We're heading to England," he bellowed.

As all of them scampered to their luggages, not one of them considered the possibility of a trap.

***Page Break***

Natalie sat comfortably on the expensive leather chair in their five-star suite, filing her nails. This hunt really prevented her from exploring fashion. It was terrible. Sometimes she was forced to wear the same outfit twice! She had never done that before. Never!

"Mummy," she started. "When will we be able to go shopping?"

Isabel glanced at her daughter from where she was closing the curtains. The sky was dark. "After we retrieve the next clue," she answered coldly.

Natalie almost slumped in her chair. But she didn't. She couldn't. Slumping ruined your posture._That'll be forever!_ She didn't voice her thought aloud. Mother would punish her if she said such a thing. _Deal with it, _she told herself sternly.

The Kabras had no idea why they were in Greece. Isabel had insisted they follow the peasant-dressed Cahills. She scolded them for failing and being outsmarted by them. _Stupid Cahills, stupid clues, stupid Mum-_ Natalie gasped. She hadn't just thought that! Her mother was NOT stupid. Mummy was _perfect._

Natalie scanned the room for her brother. Ian was by the door. Next to the door, there was a mirror and Ian was admiring himself in it while smoothing out his shirt.

Suddenly, the doorbell tune rang out, echoing through all the rooms. Ian grabbed Natalie's dart gun from where she had left it on the front table and opened the door, finger ready on the trigger.

"Yes?" he asked sweetly. Silence. He narrowed his eyes. "Show yourself!" he ordered. Natalie spotted a sheet of paper on the floor.

"Ian, there's something on the floor," she called. Her brother raised the gun and warily bent down to pick it up. Shutting the door, he read it to Natalie and Isabel.

_**Ian and Natalie Kabra~**_

_All teams participating in the hunt for the 39 clues:_

_You are required to be at the Compton castle of Devon, England_

_by the end of this week, Saturday , August 28th._

_If you do not show, we will hunt you down,_

_and you will be immediately disqualified from the hunt._

_This isn't a trap._

_Mr. William McIntyre will be there as well._

_Only you two shall come._

_Do not bring your parents._

_Thank you._

Natalie could tell that her mother was outraged. "Who is this person? I'll sue them! I should come!"

"Mother," Ian said. "Perhaps this is a good thing. You can keep looking for the clues."

Isabel glared at him before softening a bit. "Very well. Both of you get ready. I'll give you two days to pack."

"Yes, mother," Ian and Natalie chorused. _Only two days?_ Natalie protested inwardly. _Great._

***Page Break***

"Jonah, you have a showing tomorrow in-" Broderick Wizard was cut off by his son.

"Cancel it," Jonah said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "We have to keep track of Dan and Amy."

Jonah's father gazed at him in disbelief but nodded. He understood how important this was to his son, especially since Cora, his mother, and the whole Janus branch were counting on him to win. "Okay." He rapidly pressed the buttons on his Blackberry. "I'll track them down."

Jonah strode past his father calling over his shoulder,"I'm going to the front desk to make sure I have the best suite here!" Jonah quickly opened the door and stepped out, immediately colliding with one of the hotel staff. "Oh, da bomb apologizes for bumping into you, but you should of been clear of the path, yo!"

Jonah regretted saying "bomb". Last time he'd done that, it did not work out so well. To his relief, the man looked perplexed at his language, but nothing more. No panic or anything. Good.

"This is the Wizard suite?" the man asked in heavily accented English. Jonah gave a curt nod. "This is for you." Then the man spun on his heel and walked away.

"Probably a fan note," the young popstar muttered under his breath. He read over the letter.

_**Jonah Wizard~**_

_All teams participating in the hunt for the 39 clues:_

_You are required to be at the Compton castle of Devon, England_

_by the end of this week, Saturday , August 28th._

_If you do not show, we will hunt you down,_

_and you will be immediately disqualified from the hunt._

_This isn't a trap._

_Mr. William McIntyre will be there as well._

_Your father shall not report with you._

_Only direct Cahills are allowed._

_Thank you._

"Hey dad, do you think this _is_ a trap? It kind of looks like one."

Broderick peered over his shoulder. "Yeah...but do you want to risk getting disqualified?" he inquired.

"No way! Yo, it looks like we're going to England! People know who I am there, right?"

"I'm pretty sure they do," his father assured him. "Looks like I'll have to stay here, then."

"I guess so. Book me a flight, private of course. I gotta get going!"

***Page Break***

Alistair Oh was currently in Finland. He believed that he'd found a lead to a different clue than all the others. It was quite a relief not having to worry about anybody following him or trying to kill him. As far as he knew, everyone else was still stuck in Greece. Night had fallen and Alistair was preparing for bed. Sipping a cup of coffee in his comfortable pink pajamas, he pondered over information that he believed was connected to the clue.

There was a knock at the door. Heaving his weary self out of the chair, he looked through peephole before cautiously opening the door.

Nothing but a note on the floor. Eyes scanning the area suspiciously, he grabbed it and quickly shut the door.

_**Alistair Oh~**_

_All teams participating in the hunt for the 39 clues:_

_You are required to be at the Compton castle of Devon, England_

_by the end of this week, Saturday, August 28th._

_If you do not show, we will hunt you down,_

_and you will be immediately disqualified from the hunt._

_This isn't a trap._

_Mr. William McIntyre will be there as well._

_As you are a one-person team,  
We will save your hotel room for you._

_Thank you. _

Suspicion overwhelmed him again. It didn't really comfort him that Mr. McIntyre would be there. He never really knew the lawyer well. Perhaps he should not show, and let himself be disqualified. He was beginning to think that he should have taken the million dollars. The hunt had taken a huge toll on his age. He was too old to dash around the world and run from enemies. But if he quit, he would have nothing. No money or ultimate power. He had to at least continue on, even if he died trying to win this hunt.

"Well, then,"he murmured. "I believe I shall go."

**Ok, I understand that this chapter was long, boring, and a bit pointless. I just needed to write this part about the other teams' reactions because it'll help readers understand parts later in the story. Sorry that I had to repeat the note four times, but everybody had a different notice for the last two lines so I figured that I would have to make the characters read the whole note. Please review! I'll update again as soon as I can. **

#######################################################################

**Author's Note:**

** Sorry! So, in the middle of writing chapter 3, I decided that there **_**will**_** be references to the book. Sorry for the inconvience! But I think my story will be better if I do it this way. So from now on, this story will be set directly after book 9, Storm Warning. Since Storm Warning was just released not so long ago and some people may not have read it yet, I won't put any spoilers in yet. For those of you who have read book 9, I know that Greece isn't where they head next, but the place mentioned in the book for the tenth clue wouldn't really work out so well in this story, so I just picked Greece instead.**

** Also, I revised Chapter 1 a little. (I only changed the ending.) The boring chapter 2 stayed the same, so you don't need to read that one again. Go back and reread the ending of Chapter 1. Well, I suppose you don't have to because it doesn't make that much of a difference. But still, to prevent confusion, I suggest you reread it.**

** I'll try to update as soon as I can. And thanks for reading this author's note! (Seriously, there are way too many people who just skip over the author's note.)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Randomzchicka,**

** I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the revised chapter 1! And you brought up a good point. This story **_**does**_** seem an awful lot like For Grace's Sake (I love that story! It's amazing!) But I honestly didn't notice that until you mentioned it. Well, I'll try not to make this story too similar to For Grace's Sake.**

**Thanks to all the other reviewers! I appreciate your comments!**

"We will be touching down in Devon, England shortly. Please buckle your seat belts," the pilot announced.

"Bad connection," Dan muttered. His sister looked at him strangely. "His voice was all static! Didn't you notice that?" he said defensively.

"See, you notice all the _little _things, not the big _important _things. That's part of the reason why you're a dweeb," Amy joked, trying to lighten up the atmosphere.

Dan rolled his eyes, but broke into a grin. They had gotten used to Nellie's presence on planes, even though all she ever did was listen to her Ipod. It felt...different without her; more vunerability was present.

"Well, at least a dweeb is better than an old boring nerd," he retorted. "Ow!" he yelped as Amy elbowed him.

"I am not a nerd-"

"Children, did you not hear the announcement? Please buckle you seat belts," the flight attendant interrupted. She stared at them disapprovingly.

Amy flushed and quickly obeyed, murmuring a soft "sorry" to the woman. Dan obeyed too, but moved at an agonizingly slow speed, taking his time. The flight attendant glared at him impatiently. Her foot tapped rapidly on the carpeted isle.

Finally, Dan's seat belt clicked into place, and the attendant walked away angrily.

"Did you have to be such a...such a pain?" his sister hissed into his ear. Dan nodded his head vigorously. Amy huffed with annoyance and turned away.

***Page Break***

Dan was suffering through one of the worst possible things in the world. Being forced to listen to his sister drone on about some historical thing. In a taxi. And the ride was two hours long!

"Compton castle was the home for the Gilbert family for 600 years. It's one of the only castles in England to remain standing without being-" Amy was cut off.

"Gilbert? Isn't he a cat from one of those little kid shows?...Calliou! Yeah, Gilbert is Calliou's cat!" Dan grinned. "So Compton castle was home to a family of cats?"

Amy groaned. "Dan! Can't you be serious for once?" She glared at him and couldn't resist the urge to add,"And it's pronounced _kai-you, _not _ca-lee-oo!_"

"I always found that stupid. How do you get _kai-you_ out of Caillou?" Dan asked thoughtfully.

"Just let the matter drop, okay?"

For the next few minutes, Amy read silently to avoid any silly interruptions from her brother. But it wasn't long until she found something interesting that she wanted to show somebody. Unfortunately, the only somebodys around were Dan and the driver. So, naturally, Amy showed it to Dan.

"Oh, Dan! Listen to this. 'The major interest of Compton castle was the three Gilbert brothers-' " Dan snickered. " 'John, Humphrey, and was the eldest, so when their father, Otho Gilbert, died, he inherited Compton. He played a big role in Spanish Armada. He also was important in the wars late in Elizabeth's reign.

The middle son was Humphrey. He was knighted in Ireland and wrote A Discourse of a Discoverie for a New Passage to Cataia in 1556."

Dan peered at the book. "They spelled 'discovery' wrong."

His sister rolled her eyes. "It's supposed to be spelled that way. Anyways, Adrian, the youngest formed a group that later became the colony that foundered English speaking America!"

Dan blinked. "So?"

"We're going to see the place that was home to people who founded part of the U.S."

He scoffed. "That's not exciting. That's boring!" He seriously had no idea why Amy got excited about this type of stuff. Ninja video games and snacks were way more interesting.

"_Somebody_ ought to appreciate history a little more," Amy said.

"Who?" Dan asked innocently. He grinned mischieviously as she turned back to her book.

"In 1800, the estate was sold by the Gilbert family and..."

Dan slouched in his seat and groaned. This was going to be a _long_ ride.

***Page Break***

Amy stepped out of the taxi, stretching her legs and dragging a moaning Dan behind her.

"You talked way too much," he whined.

"I was trying to educate you! But I obviously shouldn't, because you don't appreciate it!" she retorted. She sighed and gazed at her surroundings. The castle was _huge, _with multiple towering buildings and grassy lawns stretching off into the distance. To the right of the castle was a gigantic forest of trees. _Wow...I thought Uncle Alistair's home was big..._

As if her thought had summoned him, a voice spoke behind her. "Ah, hello children." She and Dan turned around to find Uncle Alistair smiling warmly at them.

"Hey, Uncle Alistair," Dan said. Amy gave him a curt nod. She still wasn't very fond of him. He could of saved her parents' lives. Well, he could had at least saved one of them. Hope Cahill would probably be alive today if Alistair had just told her that he had the poem.

Now that Amy had fully taken in her surroundings, she noted that she and Dan and Uncle Alistair were the only teams that had arrived. "Shall we go inside?"Alistair asked. He didn't wait for the reply. Amy and Dan shared a glance and followed after him.

Inside was magnificent. Intricate marble designs flowed over floor and complicated patterns spread across the walls. Arched doorways appeared often and silk curtains were tied aloft the fancy windows.

Even Dan was impressed. "Whoa," he muttered.

_Amazing! _ Amy thought absently. She was in absolute awe of this place. Uncle Alistair jolted her out of her trance.

"Well, I believe we should look for who," he cleared his throat,"summoned us here?"

"That would be me," a new voice spoke up. Amy, Dan, and Alistair whipped around and saw an older man with dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes. Amy was suddenly glad of Uncle Alistair's presence. The man formally bowed. Amy was uncertain of what to do, so she just stood still and offered a small smile. Uncle Alistair dipped his head courteously. Dan bowed right back, thinking this was like a ninja game. Then after bowing, he struck out into a karate pose.

Amusement sparked in the man's eyes. I will fully introduce myself when all the other teams arrive. For now, I will allow you to call me Mr. M."

"Okay, Mr. M. Hey, are you, like, a ninja dude?"

Mr. M. cracked a tiny smile. "I'm afraid not. Though your interest in ninjas is...intruiging, almost. May I ask for your name?"

"Dan," Dan replied automatically. "Dan, _not _Daniel."

Amy elbowed him roughly. They barely knew who this guy was and Dan had already given his name. She was relieved when the man didn't ask any more questions. "Come," he said commandingly. "I will show you to your rooms."

He led them through several hallways, so many that Amy had soon completely lost track. "Here we are!" Mr. M. announced. He walked into the room. You two are Amy and Daniel, er _Dan_ Cahill, correct?" Amy merely nodded. "Wonderful. Oh, and since you are sharing, if you ever feel the need for privacy, we have this available." He walked over to right below the middle section of the windows and pressed a button. A _wall_ slid through a slim crack in the ceiling. "We've added a few devices to this castle, to make it more...modern."

Dan's jaw dropped. "Awesome! Are there video games?" Amy rolled her eyes. Was that all he cared about?

"Um, I'll have some provided for you! Anything for our guests. And for you," he tilted his head to Uncle Alistair, who was standing awkwardly in the doorway. "Name please?"

"Alistair Oh," he replied politely, smoothing down a few wrinkles on his jacket.

"Oh, you are right next door! Come, please. Children, I ask you to follow." Amy and Dan reluctantly left their totally awesome room.

Apparently, "next door" turned out to be the next hallway. Amy felt a bit nervous. Why were the rooms so far apart?

"There you go! Do not worry about directions, you'll be provided with a map and will gradually learn your way around."

_Gradually? How long are we staying? The note never said._ She glanced over at Dan and could tell the same thought was going through his head.

Mr. M. continued on with the tour of Compton castle. He was unaware of the doubtful thoughts going through the Cahills mind.

Amy bit her lip lightly. _I have a bad feeling about this._

Dan was thinking something along that line as well. _This trip is looking a little weird..._

**What'd you think? Remember, they have a whole week to get to the castle, so Amy, Dan, and Alistair are the early ones. Review please!**

**For anybody that doesn't know Caillou, it's a TV show for little kids. My younger siblings used to be crazy about that show!**


	4. Chapter 4

** For ScarletLoveFever, I described the rooms a little more. I hope it's not as confusing anymore.**

** Sorry I haven't updated in a few days. But a few days isn't that long, is it? I really don't think anybody is hooked on this story, since, in my opinion, it's been pretty boring so far. I feel like a failure... :(**

Amy was never a fan of crowds. She wasn't a fan of Jonah Wizard either. So when she just happened to be out on the front lawn reading when Jonah Wizard arrived the next day,...well, she wasn't exactly thrilled. Neither was Mr. M. He ran out shouting about how the Compton castle was private property.

"So much for peace and quiet," she muttered under her breath as she dashed back into the castle, away from the mobs of fans crowding Jonah's limo. "I'm glad I'm not famous. It must be a total pain to have fans following you all the time!"

At first, Amy had wanted to read her book in the room she and Dan shared. There was a bench right below one of the windows that was, in Amy's opinion, the perfect reading spot. Unfortunately, Dan thought that it was the perfect area for ninja headquarters. So, after half an hour of Dan running around the room doing ninja moves and "accidentally" landing a few punches and kicks on her, she just left without a word.

Now she had to go back and stay in the company of her annoying brother. There was absolutely no way she was going back out to the crowds. Sighing, she slipped into the room, and gazed around thoughtfully. After the tour last night, she and Dan had explored the room more. Amy was amazed at the quality of it. This room could probably be enough room for five people or more! Opposing the door were three gigantic windows that took up the whole wall. Large curtains were tied to the side, so they could cover them at night. Two queen sized beds were placed, one pushed against the right wall, the other shoved against the left wall. Two bookshelves, a plain light blue closet, a lavender bedstand, and a writing desk with a matching cushioned chair lined the right side's walls. A television set, a black wardrobe, a mini navy blue sofa, and a tiny snack cabinet lined the left side's walls. Obviously, Amy took the right side and Dan took the left. The middle of the room was empty, except for the bench near the windows and the control box for the "privacy wall". An elegant imperial rug covered most of the floor. Both sides had their own individual bathrooms.

"Ugh. I guess Jonah's here." Her brother's voice jolted her out of her observation spree. Amy was relieved that he had temporarily stopped his ninja game. Now he was staring out the window quietly. She walked to the bench and joined him.

"Yeah. I hope Mr. M. can get rid of those mobs." They both watched Mr. M. He was looking quite impatient. Security had arrived and the guards were ushering Wizard fans away. After a moment of silence, Amy asked, "Do you trust him? Mr. M., I mean."

"I don't know. It's too early to tell."

A weird sound suddenly came from Dan. Sort of like a growl. Amy stared at him. "Dan...did you just..." She pinched her nose for an explanation.

Dan grinned mischieviously. "Sadly, no. That was my stomach." Amy breathed out with relief and they both busted out laughing. Dan hopped off the bench and headed toward the snack cabinet. Amy continued to gaze out the window, so she was the first to see a purple van coming up the road.

"Hey Dan, the Holts are here. Well, they're almost here." Her younger brother groaned in response.

He ran back to the window and peered out. As an afterthought, he added,"It'll be nice to see Hamilton again. I don't care about the others." Amy simply nodded in agreement.

"Children! More teams are here. We should go down to greet them!" Mr. M.'s voice was kind of muffled through the door.

"Who in the world would want to welcome those idiots? Save Hamilton, of course." Dan muttered. But, nontheless, he walked out of the room. Amy followed him.

Mr. M. smiled at them. "Ah, there you are! More teams have arrived. Now the only ones that haven't are," he checked the clipboard in his hands. "Ian and Natalie Kabra." Something stirred within Amy, but she couldn't quite place it. So she ignored it.

She must have had a strange facial expression because Uncle Alistair whispered in her ear, "Still not quite over the Kabra boy?"

Amy jumped. She hadn't even known he was there! Mr. M must have picked him up as well. "Oh, no. I'm over h-him." _Stupid stutter._ _Now there's no way he'll believe you._ Thankfully, Uncle Alistair didn't inquire anymore. He just cast her a sympathetic glance. Amy turned away and quickened her pace to catch up with Mr. M. and Dan, Alistair on her heels.

***Page Break***

"That was the best dinner I've ever had!" Dan mumbled to himself as he rubbed his stomach in satisfaction. They had had fried chicken with these miniature steak bites, a fruit salad, delicious chicken noodle soup, and plenty of other foods Dan had never seen that he hadn't bothered to learn the name of. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to grab as much as he wanted because the Holts ate like pigs. Gigantic pigs. They were human eating machines.

It was now time for bed. Amy was taking a shower. Dan had already finished and was wearing his comfortable ninja turtle PJ's. _Why do girls take so long in the shower anyway?_ Not that Amy took a long time. Usually five to ten minutes was enough for her. But Dan had finished in two minutes flat and he wanted to talk to someone. Even if that someone was his sister. _At least she probably doesn't take as long as Natalie the Cobra._ Natalie. This trip would turn into Dan's worst nightmare as soon as she arrived.

"Oh my gosh, you had to bring _those_ pajamas?" Amy came out of the bathroom in a simple t-shirt and comfortable blue pants that went up to her knees. **(A/N: I really have no fashion sense whatsoever. But I don't think Amy cares much about her clothes. Sorry that I might be describing clothes too much. I just feel like I need to conjure up an image.)** Her auburn hair was tied up into a slightly wet, sloppy ponytail. "You really are ninja obsessed."

Dan was offended. "I like these pajamas! Why? Let me break it down for you. They. Are. Totally. Awesome!"

His sister rolled her eyes. "We should go to bed. It's," she glanced at the alarm clock on her bedstand,"ten thirty."

Dan didn't want to go to sleep. He hadn't felt this way in a long time. Ever since the hunt started, he was so worn out after the day was over that he slept in his clothes. Today he just sat and played around in the castle. Kind of like what he used to do everyday at Aunt Beatrice's. Back then, he had always been wide awake at night.

Desperate to not go to sleep, he said,"I'm thirsty. I need a drink of water. I'm going down to get one." He strode over to the door. Just as he had expected, Amy followed him, muttering something about him blowing up the castle if he went alone under her breath. He smiled triumphantly. _Yes!_

As they walked down the stairs to the kitchen, (Amy was completely lost, but Dan knew the way because of his photographic memory) Dan gave a soft slap to each of the stairwell's handlebars.

"Would you stop that? It makes too much noise. We don't want to be heard!" Amy whispered.

"Why? We're just getting a drink of water." But his voice was hushed as well. To his sister's annoyance, he continued sliding his hands over the bars.

Suddenly, he stopped.

"What's wrong?" Amy asked nervously.

"This bar is hollow!" he hissed. He kneeled down and inspected it closely.

"So?"

"All the others are solid. But this one isn't. I know because it makes a different sound than the others." He gently twisted the bar. To both of the siblings' surprise, it came right off, revealing a slim opening with a knob sticking out. Before Amy could protest, Dan turned the knob to the left. Nothing happened. He tried the right. And he immediately wished he hadn't. Amy opened her mouth in a silent scream.

The stair beneath them opened, and both Amy and Dan plunged down into darkness.

**Did you like it? Ian and Natalie come in the next chapter! As you can see, I'm obviously not very good at writing action and suspense. But I'll try my best!**

**Honestly, tell me in reviews whether this story stinks or not. I'm in need of a morale boost. **

**Do you think I'm a good writer? Or a terrible one? ...Maybe I shouldn't have asked that, for if people hate me, then that'll just make things worst. But I really want to know!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you SO much to Misguided Star, randomzchicka, and The One They Call Demented for your positive reviews! They really helped lighten up my spirits! But it wasn't actually criticism that brought me down in the first place. I mean, criticism is fine, as long as it's constructive, and I hardly got any. Um...actually, I don't know what made me feel depressed. Weird...**

** Oh, I hope I'm not boring everyone to death. I tend to get off track sometimes. Anyways, here's chapter 5!**

"OW! Dan, did you have to land on top of me?" Amy scrambled out from underneath her brother.

Dan pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Where are we?" he asked, sounding a bit dazed.

Amy scanned the room nervously. "I don't know." She glanced up and worry and despair immediately overwhelmed her. "Uh, Dan? The entrance is closed!"

That got him to clear his mind and scrabble to his feet. "What? But... Now, how are we going to get out of here?"

She turned on him. "How am I supposed to know? You just had to get us into this mess, didn't you? Great, Dan. Just great." Dan stared at her, his eyes a mixture of anger and hurt. Amy sighed. "Sorry. I got stressed."

He nodded to her before speaking. "Come on. Standing here isn't going to help us! Let's explore!" He started off into the darkness. Amy trailed after him, taking in every detail of this place. They were in a small room, with dusty brick walls and wooden flooring. Various paraphernalia were scattered around the room, creating an imaginary border. Directly oppisite from where Amy was standing was a door. Dan spotted it at the same moment she did.

"We're going in there," he announced, without even bothering to get her opinion. Instead, he grabbed her arm and dragged her over. "Ladies first." He gestured for her to step through the doorway.

Amy glared at him, then smirked. "Aw, Dan. Are you afraid?"

Her brother glared right back at her. "No. Now go!" He shoved her through. It wasn't a hard push, but it was enough to make Amy move. As soon as she stepped through, the door flashed red.

"Amy Cahill. Madrigal branch." a robotic voice immediately rang out.

Amy froze. "W-what's h-happening?" She quickly glanced around. No cages or nets dropping on her, no people running out. Good. "Dan, hurry! Step through!"

Just as they'd both expected, the robotic voice spoke again. "Daniel Cahill. Madrigal branch."

"Whoa," Dan muttered. "Talk about security."

While Dan pondered over the security active door, Amy observed this room. It was much bigger than the other one. Old worn boxes were stacked everywhere. The floor was carpeted here, but it still looked extremely uncomfortable. An old dim lightbulb emitted a faint glow, lightening the room a little.

"Earth to Amy! Let's dig around. We might be able to find out something about this place." He ran over to a towering stack of boxes and grabbed one. One of the middle ones.

"Dan!" she cried. "Don't grab from the middle section! The whole thing is going to fa-" Too late. All the boxes toppled down, landing on her little brother. "Dan!" She rushed over and pulled him out of the box melee. A few papers fluttered in the air. Amy grabbed one of them and quickly read it over. "Dan," she said slowly. "I think the Gilberts were Cahills."

Dan rolled his eyes. "No, duh! Why else would they have a security door that names the branch of what Cahill branch you're part of? Honestly, you can be so dumb sometimes."

"I'm not dumb! Besides, we don't know whether or not this place was part of the castle. Someone else could have built it in later."

"Whatever. I wanna see if there's anything _interesting_ here." He darted to the other side of the room. Amy bent down to restack all the boxes he dropped and read through more documents. For the next hour, both were immersed in their own thoughts and activities. Neither of them spoke.

***Page Break***

_I'm tired._ It seemed like ages ago since he and Amy had left their room to get water. He had absolutely no clue what time it was. They'd been here for a long time. That was something Dan knew for sure. He glanced at Amy, who was slouched against a box, forcing her eyelids to stay open.

"Hey, Amy. Can we go to sleep?" he asked drowsily.

"One of us should stay awake to keep watch," she mumbled. Her eyes were already drooping. She yawned.

Dan hated being woken up in the middle of a slumber, so he volunteered to go first.

Amy muttered a soft "thanks" to him and was asleep in seconds. Dan longed to do the same.

_No. I've got to stay awake. I've got to stay awake. I have got to... _Unfortnately, Dan was just as exhausted as Amy. And he was younger, so his body couldn't prevent the sleepiness that overwhelmed him. Approximately a minute after Amy slept, Dan was doing the same.

***Page Break***

When morning arrived,(though neither of them knew it)Dan was the first to awaken. _Oh no! I fell asleep. Amy's going to kill me!_ But much to his relief, his sister was still asleep. She hadn't stirred once during the night.

"Amy, wake up!"

"Huh?" Amy sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"It's morning. We need to find a way out. And quick!"

Amy suddenly widened her eyes. "You mean you were awake all night keeping watch?"

Dan smiled sheepishly. "Um...I sorta fell asleep, too."

"Dan!"

"Sorry! I was just as sleepy as you! Besides that's not important! We have to-"

"Get out of here, I know," Amy interrupted. "I'll go look in the other room. You stay in this room and look." She pushed herself up and walked away, completely ignoring the security door, which oce again, announced her name and branch to the world.

Dan started crawling on the floor, looking for anything that could be hinting of a way out of here. He remembered when Grace's mansion had caught on fire and how Amy had saved them both by following the patterns on the floor. Then he looked at the ceiling. Nothing but cracks and the old lightbulb, swaying with the breeze.

_Swaying?_ _Air! Air must be coming in from somewhere!_ "Amy! Any luck?"

"No. You?"

"Yeah! Come here!" Amy came running over, excitedly. "Look! The lightbulb is swinging. Air should come in from somewhere, and that's probably our way out!"

"Dan...you're a genius!"

He sniffed and smiled smugly. "Took you long enough to figure that out! Let's go."

After following the faint breeze to various parts of the room, Amy finally found a large vent behind a box that was releasing fresh air from outside into the room. Dan pried it off and began crawling through energetically. But it wasn't long until his asthma kicked in, and pretty soon he was hacking and coughing roughly.

"You okay?" Amy murmured from behind him.

"Not really," he managed to choke out. "I think it's okay though. We're almost there." Sure enough, sunlight shone directly in front of them. Just a few more feet to go...

"We're out!" Dan cheered, then broke into a coughing fit.

"Come on, Dan. Let's go back to your room and get your inhaler."

***Page Break***

Amy soon found that it was nine thirty in the morning as she dragged Dan hurriedly back to their room. She couldn't help but blush as she and Dan earned many stares from the cooks, Mr. M., and other people who saw them. She had completely forgotten that they were still in their pajamas and her hair was probably a mess. As she rounded the last turn that Dan claimed to lead to their room, she crashed headfirst into another being.

"S-s-sorry!" she stuttered hastily. Dan widened his eyes at her. Amy was puzzled.

"Hello, love." A new voice spoke up, silky and smooth.

_Oh no._

Amy didn't know what to do. A whirlwind of feelings swirled around in her mind. Betrayal, happinness, shock, sadness, hurt, and embarassment. But the strongest were definitely pain and anger.

She desperately grasped around her brain for something to do. Anything but just sitting their like an idiot. An idea suddenly popped up. It was extremely unlike her, but...for goodness sake, this was _Ian Kabra._

So, Amy did the first and only thing that came to mind.

**Can anybody tell me if I used the word 'paraphernalia' correctly? I'm not sure I did. I'm sorry that my sentences in my chapter were a bit jumpy and rushed. But I was rushing to get this chapter done, so that explains it. I really need to add more excitement to this fanfic, but I'm having trouble thinking of stuff. Any ideas? **


	6. Chapter 6

Ian Kabra was perplexed. Here he was, sitting on his rear end on the elegant carpeting of a _castle_, with his sister cruelly giggling behind him. And worse, he had been pulled down by a mere peasant girl. _A peasant girl._ A simple commoner had caused him to make a fool of himself. People walked past, casting him strange looks. He immediately got off the floor, dusting himself off, and glaring at the witnesses around him.

Natalie quickly put a stop to her display of immature laughter and tilted her head upwards, regaining her superior Kabra air. Ian frantically continued to obtain his dignity. He straightened up and glanced at his younger sister coldly.

She smirked. "Would you care to recap on this...series of unfortunate events, brother?" She had been in the bathroom checking over her appearance. When she reported back to her brother, he was sitting on the floor, slightly stunned.

"No," he answered promptly.

"Oh, come on, young lad! It wasn't that bad! Share it with the beautiful young girl." An elderly man called heartily from where he was standing about five feet behind the Kabras. Based on his dirty food-stained apron, Ian guessed that he was a cook.

Ian felt rage building inside him. _She's a beautiful girl and I'm a young lad? I refuse to be called a lad!_ He opened his mouth to throw a cool and witty comment, but Natalie spoke up again.

"I would love to know, Ian." She blinked her amber eyes, so much like his, pleadingly, and put on her sweetest face. There was a chorus of murmurs from other bystanders who had temporarily stopped their tasks to watch the two guests.

"Fine," he sniffed, glaring at everyone present. "I will tell you when we our shown to our rooms."

"Ahem. You mean _room._ You will both be sharing." Natalie gasped with the horror of not having her own room. The two Lucians slowly turned and glimpsed their host for the first time. He looked good enough, dressed in a buisness-like suit with his hair neatly combed. He smiled. "We will get to know each other better tonight when we dine. For now, you will call me Mr. M." He gazed at Ian sympathetically. "And I suppose you should tell your sister now. It'll be a while before we take all your luggage to your room." He looked at the two men waiting outside with literally _tons_ of bags. He went outside to instruct them.

Ian sighed with defeat. "Natalie, while you were so vainly checking on your hair, I met up with our dear cousins, Amy and Daniel. Amy was being careless and crashed into me. She landed on the floor, I outstretched my hand as a gesture of kindness, she took it and shoved me to the ground. Then she ran away, dragging her idiotic brother." Ian's explaination was vague and quick.

Natalie chortled meanly. "Oh, are you sure the outstretchhed hand was a gesture of kindness?" She glared at him imploringly, and Ian knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Of course. I have no feelings for her whatsoever. And she obviously doesn't either."

"Yes, she's probably still upset about our plan in Korea. Or, perhaps she's finally realized how to treat competition. But believe me, I'm a girl. And I am quite sure that she has not gotten over you." Natalie informed coolly.

Naturally, Ian was shocked. Sure, Natalie was obsessed with looks, but he never thought she cared about this type of stuff. Was she right? Has Amy moved on yet?

"Yes, yes. Set them right here, please. Thank you. You cannot go any further, so you may leave. I have a few other guests that can help me carry the bags." Mr. M. said.

Natalie was going into slight panic. "We won't have to carry our own bags, will we?"

"Well, the whole staff is busy today, preparing for our extravagant dinner. It would be easier if you could carry some of your own bags, but if you refuse, my helpers and I can manage. We'll just have to make more trips back and forth." Mr. M's face showed his surprise and annoyance that they were too vain to carry their own luggage. "Come, Dan and Amy. Help with the luggage."

_Amy and Dan? They're to carry our luggage? _Ian thought.

Sure enough, the two orphans stepped out, Dan yawning, feeling a lot better, but incredibly sleepy, after using his inhaler. Amy looked shy, as usual, a few strands of her auburn hair sweeping in front of her face.

"Tired, Daniel?" Natalie asked, smirking.

The two siblings glanced at each other. Ian watched them curiously. Dan glared at Amy, Amy subtly shook her head, and Dan sighed. It was almost as if they were having a conversation without actually talking. But that wasn't possible, was it?

Finally, Amy spoke, her stuttering voice soft. "N-no. We're fine."

Ian felt the need to speak. "Really? You have dark circles under your eyes, love."

There was silence. Amy and Dan looked slightly panicked, while Ian and Natalie narrowed their eyes, trying to find out what they were hiding. Mr. M. was trying to figure out why these two groups were so tense with each other. Amy and Dan didn't act like this with the other teams.

Dan was the first to break the quiet atmosphere. "Of course the great Ian and Natalie are too lazy to bring their own luggage down one hallway." he said, poorly imitating Natalie's british accented voice.

Natalie stuck her nose up in the air. "Well, Daniel, some of us were raised better than penniless orphans."

"Hey! We're-"

"Children, let's get moving." Mr. M chided, while picking up two of Natalie's _many_ suitcases.

Dan immediately walked toward Ian's bags calling, "Can I help Ian? I don't want to die by getting buried under luggage." Ian noticebly had less bags than Natalie. A lot less.

"Dan, as gentlemen, we are obliged to handle the larger tasks. Amy shall help Ian, and you and I will carry Natalie's."

Dan rolled his eyes. "Of course. Let Amy help her lover boy."

Ian glanced at Dan's older sister, inspecting her reaction. Amy's cheeks turned bright red with embarassment. "Dan!" But Dan was already walking down the hall, dragging two of Natalie's duffel bags. Natalie, of course, wasn't happy with this.

"Don't drag them!" she shrieked. "They'll get scuffed!" She ran after him, yelling about the correct way to hold a bag. Mr. M. shook his head and followed them, his arms full of Natalie's belongings.

It was only Amy and Ian now. Ian gestured toward the small pile of his bags. Amy sighed and glared at him, though Ian had to admit, she wasn't very good at glaring.

He picked up two of his bags and handed them to her. Her cheeks reddened slightly as she grabbed the bags and gave him a small nod. Ian watched her green eyes stray to the large suitcase behind him.

"Um, I guess I'll come back for that later," she murmured.

Ian was greatly ashamed to admit that he thought about offering to carry it himself. After all, it had wheels, and he could easily roll it to his room. But that would be much too un-Kabra like of him. So he simply gave her a curt nod, just as his father would do.

Amy turned around and started after Dan, Mr. M., and Natalie, who were far ahead. Suddenly she looked back at him, took a deep breath, and blurted," S-sorry."

As Ian watched her retreating form, he couldn't help but wonder which she was apologizing for. Dan's comment, her earlier action of shoving him to the ground, or not being able to carry all his luggage at once?

He shook his head and examined the castle. It was exquisite, that he would admit, but he still preferred the mansion in London. He looked down at the red carpet. To his surprise, there was a small piece of paper there.

_"Amy and Daniel Cahill"_, it read. He scanned over the contents before dropping it distastefully to the floor again. It was just the letter that had instructed them to report to the Compton estate. Nothing of use there.

However, unknown to all of them, that specific note held great importance, and would eventually be the key to all the Cahills' safety.

***Page Break***

Meanwhile, Dan and Mr. M. were having some trouble controlling Natalie.

"Ahhh! The bathroom's too empty! Where are all my lotions and shampoos?"

"Natalie!" Dan had to shout to be heard over Natalie's raucous. "You haven't put them in the bathroom yet! Duh!"

"Then hurry up and bring my things in! I need to put them in!"

"Hey! Both of you sentences ended using the word 'in'!" Dan pointed out gleefully.

"I. Don't. CARE! Go and get my other belongings!"

Mr. M. quickly hurried out. Dan reluctantly followed, muttering something inaudible.

Dan passed by Amy in the doorway. "Watch out for Natalie. She's a screaming machine!" Dan whispered loudly. Amy nodded in agreement.

"I heard that, Daniel. And it is not funny!" Natalie screamed.

Dan ran ahead to ask Mr. M. if he could go buy ear plugs.

***Page Break***

Mr. M. forced a smile toward the young Cahill boy. He had asked for ear plugs. But he couldn't let them leave. Not until his boss took over.

"I will try to provide some for you." he replied steadily, gazing down at Dan.

Dan breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks." He ran off to the room that he and his sister shared. Mr. M. watched him leave. Right now, Dan's biggest problem was trying not to go deaf by the screaming of Natalie. If only he knew what dangers lay ahead. If only they all knew.

**Ugh. Another boring chapter. Sorry. But don't worry! I'm planning to have some action in the next chapter. I apologize for any OOCness in the characters, especially Ian. Hey, are there any types of expensive, fancy luggages? Because sutcases and duffel bags seem too normal for Ian and Natalie. Review please!**


End file.
